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| What is Trademark and Trademark Registration? |
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 Customers in today's market are increasingly bombarded with brands and it is increasingly important for companies to seek ways to differentiate their brands & trademarks. Yet as companies spend more on branding, not many protect this investment at the outset. A company may only look to protect its investment at a later stage when problems arise.
Trademarks Registration allows businesses to stand out from competition, to build a mark reputation and everything it represents (e.g., quality, reliability, trust, etc.). Trademarks must be used properly and protected or they can be weakened or lost entirely
Trademarks Registration with the Department of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Economy & Trade grants the owner the right for exclusive use of the mark to identify the source of a good or service.
Once the mark is registered, it confers the right to prevent others from using the same or a confusingly similar mark in connection with specific goods or services across the country.
The owner can also take more steps to protect its trademark. The first important step is to make everyone aware that the mark is indeed a mark, and should be treated as such. This is accomplished by using the appropriate symbol (e.g., TM or ®)
Trade with counterfeit products is a global increase issue and all the companies & governments are working on addressing the spread of this phenomenon...
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| Useful tips to companies in fighting counterfeit: |
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Monitor your trade regularly and let your sales report any counterfeit or suspected product presence
Be aware that you are the only expert to your brand; check out the suspected product for any visual differences with the original (check spelling on label artwork, missing information, mistakes especially in brands & logo design…). Pay particular attention to the package closure and if there is evidence that it was tampered, or for any signs showing that the package was opened. If you still have doubts, send a sample to your R&D for testing
Depending on the case, select wisely the right support to help you in addressing the issue. Your selection can go to use your lawyer or to get directly support from one of the governmental control bodies or you can even select to work with all together after providing a proper coordination to their work.
It is beneficial to combine your efforts with other group of companies' effort allowing your company to work effectively with the different governmental control bodies & judiciary system. This joining of efforts will influence & improve:
1- The legal frame work,
2- The control at borders,
3- The development of specific anti-counterfeit trainings to the government inspectors, and
4- The development of a public awareness campaign involving consumers, a key element to win your anti-counterfeit fight.
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